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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 26, 2022

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To anyone who has discussed the issue with pro-Ukraine people.

Why do people support Ukraine fighting against Russia, with a strange militaristic fervor, instead of supporting surrendering / negotiating peace?

Anglin makes the points that:

-the war is severely impoverishing Europe due to high energy costs

-the war is destroying Ukraine ( population + territory / infrastructures / institutions)

-continuing the war increases the chances of a world war

Is it cheering for the possible destruction of Russia?

Something to do with the current leadership of Russia, anti-LGBTQ, pro-family policies?

Is it about the 1991 borders of Ukraine, issues with post-Soviet Union border disputes?

Notion that 'if we don't stop Putin now he will never stop no matter what'? Is it something about broadly standing up against aggression of one state vs another, supporting the 'underdog'?

The issue with that one which seems to be central to Alexander's March 22 post is that there isn't much that seems capable of stopping Russia.

Sending another 100k Ukrainians to the meatgrinder for that end seems a little bit harsh coming from people with very little skin in the game.

Just signaling what they are told is the correct opinion?

Is it about saving face, sunk cost at this point?

What would be the best case scenario for a Ukraine/State Department victory?

To my understanding, Putin is not the most radical or dangerous politician in Russia, and an implosion into ethnicity-based sub-regions would cause similar problems to the 'Arab Spring'. Chechens for example would not appear very West-friendly once 'liberated' from Russia.

Not only that, but economic crisis in Europe could generate additional security risks.

  • -13

Why do people support Ukraine fighting against Russia, with a strange militaristic fervor, instead of supporting surrendering / negotiating peace?

Because they have chosen to fight. They can surrender whenever they feel like it. But until they do, they ought to enjoy the full support of people who also don't like wars of aggression prosecuted upon them.

-the war is destroying Ukraine ( population + territory / infrastructures / institutions)

The traditional response to an insult is reprisal, not submission. Indeed, they've probably got very little to lose and everything to gain by continuing to fight.

continuing the war increases the chances of a world war

If Russia is able to win all conflicts by threatening a world war, they're going to spread unchecked. The hell with that, I say. Waiting for the apocalypse is exhausting.

Is it cheering for the possible destruction of Russia?

Yes

Something to do with the current leadership of Russia, anti-LGBTQ, pro-family policies?

I cannot speak for everyone supporting Ukraine but that always seemed like a distraction. The reason I want to see Russia get spanked is the arsenal of nuclear weapons they maintain trained at me. They're the guy robbing my convenience store at gunpoint; if they go down in a hail of cop gunfire after stealing a car that's just as well.

What would be the best case scenario for a Ukraine/State Department victory?

Even more of the Russian armed forces taken out of commission. Like 2x what we've seen so far. Perhaps 5x. Russia withdrawing from Ukraine. Putin replaced with someone who's more interested in increasing Russia's GDP than square miles.

To my understanding, Putin is not the most radical or dangerous politician in Russia, and an implosion into ethnicity-based sub-regions would cause similar problems to the 'Arab Spring'. Chechens for example would not appear very West-friendly once 'liberated' from Russia.

Is there a strong reason to believe that Putin is the glue holding together the federation?

But until they do, they ought to enjoy the full support of people who also don't like wars of aggression prosecuted upon them.

The irony when the support comes in the forms of billions dollars of aid and weapons from the American militaro-industrial complex.

If Russia is able to win all conflicts by threatening a world war, they're going to spread unchecked.

A reasonable border conflict, similar to the Cuban missiles crisis.

They're the guy robbing my convenience store at gunpoint; if they go down in a hail of cop gunfire after stealing a car that's just as well.

Again, there's a whole series of convenience store robberies you haven't looked at if Russia is the main perp in your eyes.

Russia withdrawing from Ukraine.

Not going to happen unless Russia is destroyed. Having a de facto NATO protectorate on your border is a matter of life or death for Russia.

Putin replaced with someone who's more interested in increasing Russia's GDP than square miles.

Russia's GDP is square miles. Square miles of resource-rich land, that Russians have been doing quite a good job at keeping under control, compared to say the West in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Is there a strong reason to believe that Putin is the glue holding together the federation?

Historical precedent. You know what you lose, you don't know what you gain.

How well did the Arab Spring go for liberal democracy in North Africa and the Middle East?

Again, there's a whole series of convenience store robberies you haven't looked at if Russia is the main perp in your eyes.

Are there other nuclear arsenals aimed at the US? China's is unimpressive compared to Russia's, but don't get me wrong, when (if?) China invades Taiwan I will have zero problem with the unholy gift basket of armaments my tax dollars will provide them with.

Having a de facto NATO protectorate on your border is a matter of life or death for Russia.

How unfortunate for them. Maybe if they didn't make NATO the only way to avoid getting invaded and instead offered a better deal they wouldn't be in this mess.

How well did the Arab Spring go for liberal democracy in North Africa and the Middle East?

Man, it's been a while. i think the fondest hope was that Iran would flip, and it didn't.

But Gaddafi got his, so there's that.

Maybe if they didn't make NATO the only way to avoid getting invaded and instead offered a better deal they wouldn't be in this mess.

NATO doesn't protect anyone from invasion, quite the opposite actually.

Without NATO wars in North Africa and the Middle-East, there would have been a lot fewer immigrants to Western Europe in the past decade, that many have characterized as 'invaders'.

But Gaddafi got his, so there's that.

Gaddafi got what? His fair trial according to the rule-based liberal world order?

NATO doesn't protect anyone from invasion, quite the opposite actually.

NATO countries invaded by RF: 0

Non-NATO countries invaded by RF: 2

Gaddafi got what? His fair trial according to the rule-based liberal world order?

Something about the consent of the governed.

NATO countries invaded by RF: 0

How about NATO countries invaded by Syria / Libya / Iraq / Afghanistan etc?

The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis,[2][3] was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent

Something about the consent of the governed.

Which Libyans consented to a coalition of NATO countries and Qatar to come in and murder their leader?

How about NATO countries invaded by Syria / Libya / Iraq / Afghanistan etc?

Redefining invasion.

Which Libyans consented to a coalition of NATO countries and Qatar to come in and murder their leader?

The Libyans who bayoneted him and shot him dead.

So all the Russians have to do is :

capture Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders, then deliver them to a Ukrainian (from the East) who shoots them and bayonet them to death

then have them set up a pro-Russia government

Then you would support Russia?

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